The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-08-18
The Point of Difference.
From the Missouri Republican

rroln tne MISSOURI hepuDllcan.
While the democratic party and the
independents who joined it in 1884 to de-
feat Blaine are agreed on most things.
there is still between them an important
point of differelce-a point the demo-
cratic party cannot concede, even though
its concession be demanded as an ulti-
matum.
It is IN axiom of the mugwump creed
that the tenure of appointive federal
offices should be stahle-in Short good
behavior tenure.
II is equally a democratic axiom that
all offices of trust, the judiciary offices
excepted, should be subject to the will of
the people.
During the first two years of Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration the independents
made determined attempt to extend the
good-behavior tenure from the clerkship,
the position of mere routine, to the Offices
of trust. 1t was met by an equally deter
mined resistance, and it was not success
full. When this plainly appeared demo-
Gratis had no further occasion to antagon-
ize the Independent element. The work
of reforming the civil service has gone
on, and both democrats and independents
have aided in it. The democratic idea of
reform is outlined in the words of one of
the greatest of the party leaders,:
The recent demonstration of public
sentiment inscribes on the list of execu-
tive duties, in characters too legible to be
overlooked, the task of reform which will
require particularly the correction of
those abuses which have brought the
patronage of the federal government into
conflict with the freedom of elections and
the counteraction of those causes which
have disturbed the rightful course of ap-
pointments and placed or continued
power in unfaithful or incompetent hands.
President Cleveland has carried out this
idea faithfully, not only against republi
cans, but against his own appointees. To
continue to do so is to completely over
throw "the spoils system" and the boss
system on which it rested.
The great majority of the democratic
party are opposed to the Marcy doctrine,
that the Offices are the spoils to be divided
among the victors in each recurring polit-
zeal contest. 1t is demoralizing doctrine,
responsible for the political degradation of
the country under republican rule. If
''heelers," bummers," "ticket peddlers"
and others of that ilk must be employed in
|
that they should be paid out of the
public treasury, or that they have any
claim on the party after they have been
paid out of the party campaign fund.
This is not the view of republican Elan
nigans and democratic Higginses, bnt it
is the view of the honest and disinter-
ested voters who placed the democratic
party in power, and on whose votes
it's continuance in power depends. Mr..
George William Curtis is not
more heartily in favor of suppressing
the Higginses than are tens of thousands
of democrats who oppose the extension of
the system of appointments by exam
nation. Mr.. Curtis is at one with the
great majority of democrats in believing
that the examination system is excellent
for clerical positions. The independent
agrees with the democratic majority in
opposing the principle of discrimination
and protection in raising revenue, and he
| also stands with the democratic party in
attempting to put an end to sectionallsm.
The democratic party needs his assistance
in carrying out the reforms to which it is
pledged. The points of agreement in
political belief afford basis of common
action altogether aside from the single
point of disagreement-the good behavior
tenure in appointive offices of trust The
agreement on this must be to disagree,
for it is too vital point of democracy to
be surrendered.